Are you still tired of watching indifferently how your friends or colleagues exchange news, read about the life of stars, watch movies or play using compact and convenient tablet computers for this?
Indeed, almost every modern person needs this device, but only with its purchase many problems can arise. And the point here is not at all the cost, since the market is full of fairly cheap Chinese models, but in the variety of products presented on store shelves.
So how to choose a tablet computer if your eyes are trite? Due to the fact that prices even for similar models of different manufacturers can vary by a factor of ten, first you need to determine the required functionality: which options are really important to you, and which ones you can easily live without. To help you in this difficult matter, we have prepared this article. So how to choose a tablet? Let's figure it out!
Display
First of all, you have to decide on the most comfortable display diagonal for you, since the convenience of handling the device directly depends on this. Most often, tablets with a diagonal of 7-13 inches are found. Note that for some practical tasks it would be foolish to choose a device equipped with a seven-inch or less display. In most cases, the best choice would be a 10 or 15 inch tablet.
Resolution and aspect ratio
Just note that a large display must have a high resolution, because otherwise the picture will look like a mosaic made up of large "grains". For a modern ten-inch tablet, the optimal value is 1080x720 pixels. Such permission will allow you to fully enjoy all the advantages of HD-films.
If we talk about the aspect ratio, the value of 16:10 will be optimal for viewing and editing office documents (although you can argue here), for surfing the Internet and other tasks related to the generation of content. A display with a 16: 9 aspect ratio is ideal for watching movies (especially high resolution), as well as for games.
Matrix and other characteristics
In cheap Chinese models, TN matrices are found almost everywhere, which are distinguished by small viewing angles, high grain size and poor color reproduction. However, if you only think about how to choose a tablet computer inexpensively, you still will not have a particular choice.
Normal tablets should have a matrix made using IPS or PLS technology, with a viewing angle of at least 178 °, with a resolution of at least 2560x1600 Px. Support for 3D video will not be superfluous. Responsible manufacturers protect the display of their devices with special compositions that prevent glare, protect the delicate matrix of the tablet from dust, water and other negative physical factors.
However, do not forget that a tablet with 10 or more inches automatically loses all its mobility. Such a gadget will no longer fit into your pants pocket, and its productive systems will require a powerful (and heavy) battery. So in the matter of choosing a diagonal, you should focus solely on your own preferences and your real needs: if you are going to buy a tablet computer exclusively for "social networks", a seven-inch model is also suitable.
Operating Systems
You are unlikely to be surprised that most of these devices have Android OS installed, for which there are thousands and thousands of free and paid applications with a wide variety of functionality. Note that when buying, you should make sure that the device (more precisely, its manufacturer) guarantees the possibility of updating to the latest version of the mobile OS. In this case, you will not have problems with the support of new options, which often turn out to be available only to users of the latest releases.
Many eminent companies are rebuilding the native Android, equipping it with their own custom shells. Especially in this regard, HTC Sense is known, which provides several convenient desktops and a whole bunch of very functional and pretty widgets. However, there is a huge group of users who just don’t like all such experiments, and therefore they prefer an exceptionally clean OS.
Especially for children's tablets, special shells have been developed, which even a three-year-old baby can easily deal with. In this case, the tablet will differ in competently selected collections of educational materials, games and children's books. Of course, all such devices are necessarily equipped with the "Parental Control" function, and some even boast a remote control system. Be sure to pay attention to the last circumstance before choosing a tablet computer for a child.
Apple
Apple tablets are somewhat less common (due to the high cost) in our country. They are beautiful, functional, with carefully "licked" and tested applications. All programs are repeatedly checked for compliance with all company standards, and therefore their correct and stable operation is guaranteed "automatically".
Alas, there is also a fly in the ointment (not even one). First, the user of these devices does not have full access to the tablet file system. You can’t just connect it to any computer and drop music, a movie or photos into the internal memory. In addition, there are no slots for memory cards, which is not too good for our user.
Microsoft Windows
One of the reasons for creating the Wndows 8 OS was Microsoft's desire to create a universal ecosystem that works equally efficiently on any type of device. It is not surprising that the company began to aggressively promote the new "OS" on tablets. However, we will not talk about marketing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the G8 for the average user?
Firstly, this is a completely familiar and familiar interface, as well as the ability to run proven classic applications. But! All this is true only for those devices that use normal Windows 8 / 8.1. The fact is that Windows RT is found on the same Surface tablets. This product is extremely mixed.
This version is designed specifically for devices that run on ARM-processors. The only plus is that you get a “regular” Windows, capable of working on such chipsets, with a completely standard interface. In addition, Microsoft provides users of these tablets with a fully functional version of Office. Everything. On this list of pluses ends.
It’s important to remember one simple thing - on Windows 8 RT you can’t install regular desktop applications! The number of specialized ARM programs is offensively small, and there are almost no developments by enthusiasts who port ordinary x86 utilities to this platform. By the way, the company itself seems to have realized the deadlock of Windows RT, and therefore it will not receive further development. The conclusion is simple - you definitely should not take the tablets under its control!
So how to choose a tablet? In many ways, the answer to this question depends on the hardware component of the device.
Hardware stuffing
Despite the fact that many modern tablets are almost equal in performance to laptops and even desktop computers, it still makes sense to pay close attention to the characteristics of the hardware component. So, the amount of RAM, processor clock speed and the characteristics of the graphics core are extremely important. Important! It is not by chance that we do not discuss the “iron” characteristics of Apple's tablets, since they are of the same type and do not differ in their particular variety.
Note that in all such devices, the video card is integrated into the motherboard, and therefore its performance will be directly proportional to the power of the central processor. However, if we are talking about tablets running Windows 8, then there are discrete varieties (Razer Edge, for example). If you are not a fan of this OS, we recommend that you take a closer look at devices that use the NVidia Tegra chip. Its performance is quite enough for very "serious" games.
And now we’ll look at how to choose the right tablet computer if your requirements for it are not too high.
For "budget" needs
If you only need surfing on the network from your tablet, reading e-books and the ability to post comments on social networks, then almost any Android device equipped with a processor of about 1000 MHz frequency is perfect for these purposes. The amount of RAM is in the range of 512-1024 MB. Here's how to choose a tablet if you don’t need much from it.
If you need games and movies in HD quality
If you are interested in precisely these areas, then you should choose from tablets that are equipped with 1024-2048 MB of RAM, as well as a processor with a clock frequency of at least 1000-1200 MHz. Note that if we are talking about devices running the same Windows 8, it is advisable to choose those tablets that are equipped with Core i5 or even Core i7. Of course, their cost is comparable to the price of a good laptop, but the functionality of these devices is quite comparable.
Important! Until now, DDR2 memory is found in tablets, although its performance is clearly not enough today. If you need a more or less powerful device, be sure to choose a tablet with DDR3.
CPU and graphics card details
In general, devices running Android and Windows use processors of various manufacturers, which sometimes have radically opposite properties. Usually they are "sharpened" not for high performance, but for low power consumption. Most often you can find the chipsets of the following companies:
• Intel.
• Qualcomm.
• Allwinner.
So how to choose a tablet? Reviews indicate that in this case, too, one should focus on one's own needs. Let’s explain.
As we already said, the most powerful and productive tablets are equipped with processors from Intel: Core i3, i5, i7. However, you can often find models on Atom, which were previously widely used in the production of netbooks. It has a trimmed cache, which has a positive effect on power consumption, but negatively affects performance. If we talk about the schedule, then it is often installed in such devices from the same manufacturer. Despite the general "gluttony" in terms of nutrition, such gadgets allow you to run much more spectacular and "heavy" games.
Practical part
Having discussed the main aspects of choosing a tablet computer, we turn to the description of several models. Consider the three main groups of tablets (primary, middle and high-performance), so that you can navigate in practice. So how to choose a tablet?
Explay Surfer 10.11 Tablet
Perhaps we start with a description of one high-quality, but very inexpensive model from the company Explay, which in our country is better known as a manufacturer of players. It should be noted that they get pretty good tablet computers too. However, quite the lyrics.What does the consumer offer for 5.5 thousand rubles?
A lot, a lot! A 10.1-inch display, a display resolution of 1280x800 Px, a processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. Agree, for such money - an excellent offer! All this is immediately crowned with 8 GB of internal memory, microSD card slot, Android 4.0. Unfortunately, an official update to a more recent version is not offered, so you will have to search for the appropriate firmware yourself if you want to use the latest release of this OS.
However, reviews of the tablets of this series confirm that custom firmware is easily found on the forums of the owners of such devices, and their performance is not much inferior to the official ones.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3
This tablet (more precisely, its varieties) will cost the user already 10-13 thousand rubles, but its capabilities are definitely worth it! Build quality and materials, an excellent display with fantastic color reproduction are not all the advantages of this device. Its diagonal, by the way, is eight inches, which allows you to take the gadget with you wherever you go. In short, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet computer will be able to satisfy the needs of the average designer or artist.
There are models with 3G support, which is important for people who want to be as mobile as possible. Important! Before choosing a tablet computer with a SIM card, keep in mind that the presence of a GSM module dramatically increases the cost of the device. If you are not inclined to spend extra money, it is better to buy a regular USB-modem. Many of them fit this tablet without any problems.
A powerful processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz provides amazing smoothness in rendering the working environment, and Android 4.2.2 will give you the opportunity to fully use all the remarkable talents of the device. The amount of internal memory - from 8 GB, there are also slots for memory cards. This tablet is perfect for both "heavy" games and for high-resolution movies.
And how to choose a tablet computer, if you need a gadget that is suitable not only for entertainment, but also for work? In this case, we advise you to pay attention to the last two models, to which we also have a review. A tablet computer of any of these types may well give odds to an average laptop.
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-DK003H Tablet
Before you - the "elite" of the tablet world. The capabilities of this device are such that it can really replace a laptop. Judge for yourself - the tablet runs on Windows 8, you can run normal desktop applications on it. The word "transformer" in the name indicates the presence of a full-fledged mechanical keyboard (dock), in which there is an additional battery. Of course, a tablet computer with a keyboard is an excellent working tool, so you should not lose sight of this moment.
The gadget is based on the Intel Atom Z3740 processor, the capabilities of which are quite enough to run many games, office applications and watch movies in excellent resolution. The 10.1-inch display allows for this. In any case, reviews about the tablets of this family say exactly that.
Dell Venue 11 Pro
If you need a really powerful, but extremely compact device, this tablet is a great choice. On board is a dual-core Intel Core i5-4300Y processor, the power of which is more than enough not only for the banal “Angry Birds” and get-togethers on social networks, but also for really serious tasks.
The built-in memory uses a 128 GB SSD, the amount of RAM is 4 GB, but if you wish, you can buy a model with 8 GB. The diagonal is 10.8 inches, the resolution is equal to an impressive 1920x1080 Px. Alas, the quality of the cameras is surprisingly low for such characteristics: even the rear (8 megapixels) provides only more or less intelligible photos, which are enough to post on the same social networks.There is an LTE module, which will be relevant for residents of those cities where fourth-generation networks have already arrived.
Now you know how to choose a tablet computer. We hope that our tips will help you when making a purchase.
